Queensland government to cancel registration for cars with recalled airbags

Cars still fitted with potentially deadly Takata airbags could have their registration cancelled if their owners don't get the nationally-recalled airbags replaced within a few weeks.

The warning comes from Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads who in the next few weeks will get a list of the owners of the 1000-1200 vehicles which are still carrying the airbags from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Two types of Takata airbags, alpha and beta, have been identified as defective and pose a greater risk of serious injury or death for a vehicle's occupants, especially if operated on hot and humid days.

"TMR will take action against the registration of vehicles with high risk ‘alpha’ airbags once the ACCC provides details of vehicles where manufacturers have fulfilled their customer contact obligations under the mandatory recall process, but the airbag remains unreplaced," the department said in a statement.

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"If a member of the community receives a defect notice, we strongly recommended they contact their local dealer/manufacturer immediately to have the vehicle repaired.

A Takata airbag in a RAV4 SUV, responsible for injuring a 21-year-old in Darwin.Credit:NT Police

"Failure to comply with the defect notice may result in cancellation of registration for the vehicle."

The department said defect notices will be issued to those still on the blacklist and they will have 21 days to have the defective airbag replaced, free of charge.

If after 21 days the airbag has not been replaced, the vehicle’s registration will be cancelled.

The latest ACCC figures show between 1000 and 1200 Queensland are still using alpha airbags and if any registrations were cancelled, the remaining portion of the registration fee would be refunded.

The faulty airbags have killed dozens of people internationally, including one Sydney man.

The voluntary recall began in 2009, with about 950,000 replaced in that time.

In February this year, the federal government announced a compulsory recall of more than 2 million vehicles in what Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar called the "largest and most significant recall in the nation's history".

The compulsory recall requires all faulty airbags to be replaced by suppliers by December 31, 2020.